A few days passed in a flash.
At the Ninja Academy, aside from the last five minutes before class ended, the liveliest time was when the lunch bell rang.
The usual spot at the back of Classroom 3-A, by the window, was Kushina and Ryo's "battlefield."
However, this battlefield was a war for food.
Ryo had just placed his coarse cloth bag on the table, and before he could even untie it, a fiery red little shadow zipped over from beside him.
Kushina's eyes were as bright as light bulbs, fixed on the cloth bag, her small nose sniffing like a puppy.
"Hehe, Ryo!" Kushina's cute round face bloomed into a smile, and she casually tugged at his arm. "What good stuff did you bring today? Is it still that braised pork hock? Or those crispy pork ribs?"
She was drooling so much she could barely hold it in. She had not even glanced at the bento box Grandma Mito packed for her that morning, just waiting to snatch Ryo's.
Ryo did not even bother to lift an eyelid, swatting away her paw. "Go, go, go. Eat your own. If you try to snatch mine again, I will get mad."
As he spoke, he deftly untied the cloth bag and lifted the large bamboo lunchbox lid.
Golden, fragrant, crispy roasted pork ribs were neatly arranged, sizzling with tiny bubbles of oil.
Beside them were thick slices of smoked pork, glistening with oil and exuding a rich, dominant aroma.
There were also a few strips of cured meat that looked incredibly tender.
The insulation was excellent. A waft of rich, hot steam whooshed right into Kushina's face.
Kushina gulped a big mouthful of saliva, her eyes wide, and her stomach protested on cue. "Grrr… Ryo, look. My tummy is protesting. It says it wants those ribs." Her little face crumpled, feigning pitifulness with remarkable skill.
Ryo did not fall for it. He picked up the fattiest rib and brought it to his mouth, biting into it with a satisfying crunch, his words muffled. "Protesting? Let it protest by itself. I calculated this perfectly. It is just enough for me. No share for you."
As he chewed, he pointed to Kushina's lonely bento on her desk. "There. That is yours."
Kushina glanced at her "simple and elegant" little lunchbox, her mouth pouting so much you could hang an oil bottle from it. "Hmph. Grandma Mito packed it for me, so it is definitely light-flavored again. It is not as fragrant as yours."
Suddenly, her eyes darted, revealing a cunning smile. Her small hand shot toward Ryo's lunchbox. "I will just try a tiny piece. Just one tiny piece. We are friends, what is wrong with sharing?"
"Ah. Not a chance." Ryo was quick-eyed and quick-handed, dodging with his lunchbox like a mother hen protecting her chicks, almost getting oil on his clothes.
"Kushina, how many times have I told you? Friends are friends, but if you try to snatch my food again, I will get angry." His face was sour. This little redhead was really pushing it.
Last time, a big pork hock did not just open her appetite, it also unleashed her "bandit" nature.
Kushina missed, but she was not angry. Instead, she put her hands on her hips and declared righteously, "Stingy Ryo. I compensated you with my bento last time, did I not? And you ate it too. Exchange. This is fair exchange."
Her "exchange" was purely forced buying and selling.
Ryo had to pinch his nose to eat her fresh and light bento. As a carnivore, he found it completely unsatisfying.
"Who cares about your grass leaves…" Ryo grumbled, but his movements slowed slightly.
In that instant, Kushina seized the opportunity.
With lightning speed, her small hand swished into the corner of the lunchbox, precisely pinching away the most beautiful slice of smoked meat.
"Got it!" Kushina cheered, the meat slice instantly disappearing into her mouth. A look of immense satisfaction bloomed on her cute little face. "Ooh, ooh, ooh, delicious. Ryo, your cooking is absolutely amazing." She even exaggeratedly smacked her lips.
Ryo looked at the missing slice of prime smoked meat in his lunchbox, feeling his heart bleed.
Kushina did not care, happily licking the oil from her fingers. "Hehe, it is your fault for being my first friend in Konoha. What is wrong with a friend eating a piece of your meat?" This line had practically become her catchphrase and invincible excuse.
Ryo rolled his eyes at her "friend" logic, a knot of frustration tightening in his chest.
But strangely, even though he truly regretted losing his meat and grumbled incessantly, he never actually got angry enough to push her away.
Every night when he cooked, he would inexplicably add more meat to his lunchbox.
Ryo himself pondered, "Damn it. What am I doing this for? Is this not asking for trouble? My cursed hands." He cursed, but the meat slices were added nonetheless.
It seemed watching the little redhead's eyes curve into crescents of joy just from getting a bite of something delicious did not seem so bad.
Ryo felt incredibly conflicted, as if his principles were slowly being gnawed away by a certain red-haired little squirrel.
Ryo sighed, resigned, pushing his lunchbox slightly toward the middle. He gruffly said, "Finish your own portion quickly, and stop staring at mine." His words were fierce, but his actions seemed to tacitly approve of Kushina's bandit behavior.
Kushina was sharp. She immediately caught this tiny softening. She cheered and practically glued herself to him, beginning a new round of foraging.
"I know, I know. Ryo is the best." Her words were sweet, and her hands were just as quick.
(To be continued.)
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